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A review by dinipandareads
The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert
3.0
3.5 festive stars!
This was a cute, sweet and festive grumpy-sunshine MM romance! I've been reading a few holiday romances this year and this one probably has the biggest Christmas vibes in the lead-up to the day. Our MCs go shopping for gifts, trees, lights, and decorations, there are sentimental moments about tree ornaments and other holiday-related craft items, they dress up the house and the tree, and there's so much holiday spirit stuffed into his book, which makes it perfect for those who love this festive time of year. As much as I enjoyed this one though, I didn't feel particularly strongly about a lot of it—it was well-written and I liked both Gideon and Paul but I also didn't feel an abundance of chemistry and at times I did feel a little bit bored because not a lot happens (which made the book seem very long).
This was a well-written story and I liked both Gideon and Paul. I loved that they're in their mid-40s and that the story delves into the aspects that individually make it a tough time of year for both of them. I think it's a good reminder that not everyone has good memories and experiences of the holiday season for various reasons, but it's also a heartwarming story about finding happiness and showing appreciation for your loved ones. Despite the differences in their personalities—Gideon is the ever-bubbly, energetic sunshine, while Paul is the gruff and quiet grump—they're both lonely and don't have big or caring families to spend the holidays with. Both of their stories broke my heart but it was put back together again by seeing them allow each other into their lives by being emotionally vulnerable.
Despite falling quickly into their feelings they still tread cautiously but with that, I think one of my main grips would be communication. They eventually get it together, and I appreciate that there was no major blowout (this is a low-angst romance after all!) but they were so open with everything else, I wished that they'd been straight about their feelings as well. It wasn't that big a deal though, and ultimately, I enjoyed their romance and HEA. It was a sweet and wholesome romance with steamy (though not overly explicit) moments in between—think Hallmark but with a bit of steam!
This was a cute, sweet and festive grumpy-sunshine MM romance! I've been reading a few holiday romances this year and this one probably has the biggest Christmas vibes in the lead-up to the day. Our MCs go shopping for gifts, trees, lights, and decorations, there are sentimental moments about tree ornaments and other holiday-related craft items, they dress up the house and the tree, and there's so much holiday spirit stuffed into his book, which makes it perfect for those who love this festive time of year. As much as I enjoyed this one though, I didn't feel particularly strongly about a lot of it—it was well-written and I liked both Gideon and Paul but I also didn't feel an abundance of chemistry and at times I did feel a little bit bored because not a lot happens (which made the book seem very long).
This was a well-written story and I liked both Gideon and Paul. I loved that they're in their mid-40s and that the story delves into the aspects that individually make it a tough time of year for both of them. I think it's a good reminder that not everyone has good memories and experiences of the holiday season for various reasons, but it's also a heartwarming story about finding happiness and showing appreciation for your loved ones. Despite the differences in their personalities—Gideon is the ever-bubbly, energetic sunshine, while Paul is the gruff and quiet grump—they're both lonely and don't have big or caring families to spend the holidays with. Both of their stories broke my heart but it was put back together again by seeing them allow each other into their lives by being emotionally vulnerable.
Despite falling quickly into their feelings they still tread cautiously but with that, I think one of my main grips would be communication. They eventually get it together, and I appreciate that there was no major blowout (this is a low-angst romance after all!) but they were so open with everything else, I wished that they'd been straight about their feelings as well. It wasn't that big a deal though, and ultimately, I enjoyed their romance and HEA. It was a sweet and wholesome romance with steamy (though not overly explicit) moments in between—think Hallmark but with a bit of steam!